During a nighttime training exercise south of Tokyo, two Japanese navy helicopters, each carrying four crew members, crashed into the Pacific Ocean after possibly colliding, as stated by the country’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Sunday.
Following the crash near Torishima Island, approximately 370 miles south of Tokyo, one crew member was recovered from the ocean and subsequently declared deceased, while search operations continue for the remaining seven missing crew members.
The incident involved two SH-60K helicopters from the Maritime Self-Defense Force which lost contact late Saturday.
While the specific cause of the crash remains unclear, there is a strong suspicion that the helicopters collided before plunging into the ocean, Kihara noted. In response, the ministry has temporarily halted all training flights for SH-60s.
Evidence such as a flight data recorder, helicopter blades, and various fragments have been retrieved near the crash site, suggesting proximity flight paths of the two helicopters. This data is under analysis to ascertain the crash’s cause.
Rescue efforts have intensified with the involvement of 12 warships and seven aircraft from both the Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces, supplemented by the Japan Coast Guard’s boats and aircraft.
U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel expressed solidarity and extended U.S. support for the ongoing search and rescue efforts on social platform X, affirming the U.S. commitment to its ally, Japan.
The crashed helicopters, known as Seahawks and produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under a license from Sikorsky, were conducting anti-submarine training.
The loss of contact occurred at 10:38 p.m., followed by an emergency signal. These helicopters typically serve as destroyers for various missions including anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue.
Japan operates approximately 70 of these modified SH-60K aircraft.
